EarthFest 2010 at Lynn Woods

LYNN – Lynn Woods Reservation will become a hub of environmental activism on Saturday, April 24 when EarthFest 2010 gets under way.Dan Small, the city’s park ranger, will lead a spring cleanup bolstered by a crew of volunteer workers. The volunteers will help spruce up the reservation’s Rose Garden. Those who join the effort get free pizza and beverages at noon, said Nancy Barker, a media relations specialist at North Shore Community College, noting that the college’s Student Life, Program Council, Pennon, Multi-Cultural Society, Alumni Association, Public Policy Institute, Student Government Association and Women’s Center are all sponsors of EarthFest 2010.The Friends of Lynn Woods, the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission, the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team and HealthLink are also among the list of event sponsors.According to Barker, live music will be provided by Dave and Kerstin. Other groups and businesses contributing or participating include Poland Springs, the Saugus River Watershed Council, St. Pius V Young Neighbors in Action, St. John’s Preparatory and Veolia Water.”Lynn Woods Reservation is the second largest municipal park in the United States and is considered on a national level to be a significant natural public recreational resource,” said Barker. “Founded in 1881, the 2,200-acre forest park has more than 30 miles of trails through diverse terrain and beautiful scenery. It encompasses nearly one-fifth of the entire land area of Lynn.”EarthFest 2010 features educational exhibits, hands-on activities and demonstrations on water conservation and other environmentally friendly practices, Barker said.The community college and the many sponsorship partners are scheduled to arrive at the Penny Brook Road entrance to the reservation off Walnut Street at 8:30 a.m., rain or shine. The free activities end at 1 p.m.Last year, several Upward Bound students from the college encountered deer during the EarthFest cleanup.Most of this year’s cleanup will focus on the Rose Garden, created in the 1920s by Lynn Park Superintendent John P. Morrissey. The formal garden has elaborate plantings of many roses, annual and perennial flower beds. With rustic arbors, trellises and extensive plantings of azelea, rhododendron and other exotic woodland species, the setting is a favorite as a photographic backdrop for wedding parties, reaching a peak popularity in the 1950s. However, the early-1970s brought financial constraints to the city and maintenance to a standstill.In 1990, the Friends of Lynn Woods formed the Rose Garden Restoration Committee and after four years of hard work, with assistance from the city’s Office of Community Development and state funds, the garden was restored. It was re-dedicated to the people of Lynn on June 11, 1994.For more information about EarthFest 2010 activities in Lynn, call the college at 978-762-4000, ext. 5471.